Boat



Unirse vSTATES PATENT OFFICE. ,Y

FRANK I. STILES, OF COGOANUT GROVE, FLORIDA.

BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921'.

Application filed August 22, 1919. Serial No. 319,162.

Another object of the invention is the pro. vision of a .boat having A,the capacity of function stated, and alsol having means whereby waves or rough water are prevented from interferingwith the view in the water.

Other objects and practical advantagesv of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this speciiication,.in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the boat constituting the best practical embodiment of my invention of which I am cognizant. Fig. Q is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the boat. Y

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section illustrative of the provision for admitting air to and practically excluding light from the cabin of the boat.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section illustrative of the adjustable capacity ofthe several rakes of the boat. The said rakes being designed to serve in preventing waves and rough water from interfering with the observation through the opening in the floor of the cabin.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

The hull l of the boat is preferably designed to be propelled through the medium of a stern wheel 2, driven by an internal combustion engine 3. The said hull l is formed of two pontoons or hollow bodiese arranged in longitudinal spacedL relation, and a deck 5 which extends between and is fixed with respect to the pontoons. The inner or opposed walls 6 of the pontoons are straight, and formed between the said walls 6 and under the deck is a longitudinal centhis end I provide in combination with the tral channel 7 of the proportional widthl illustrated, and extending throughout 'the length of the hull and openrat its forward and rear ends. j

. Superimosed upon the deck 5, is a cabin 8, and formed in the deck 5 which constitutes the floor of the cabin, is an observation opening 9, coincident with the channel 7,'

which opening, as its name imports, is designed to enable a. person or persons within the cabin to see downwardly in the water for a considerable distance. From this it follows that a person or persons within the v f cabin 8 are enabled to see and study the vegetation on the bottom of a body of water where the water is not too deep, and are alsoenabled to note the location of fishes in the water as well as submarine pockets in which fishes are in the habit of collecting and feeding. Y

in order to enable those within the cabin S to see down into a body of water, it'is essential thatv the cabin 8 vbe darkened to a considerable extent. Therefore in order to practically exclude the light from the interior of the cabin, and at thesame time af ford necessary ventilation for comfort, I

provide the side walls and end wall of the cabin with grills l0. Each of these grills is constructed in the manner best lshown in Fig. 4f., the Ysame being composed of an open frame 11, and spacedvdefiectors l2of cone shape in cross-section eirtending. between opf posed bars of the frame; the spaces 13 be-l tween the deflectors l2 serving for the entry and exit of air, while the arrangement of the apex of one blade within an adjoining deflector practically prevents the passage of light. At its forward end the cabin 8 is provided with a door 14 for the convenient passage of persons into and out of the cabin.

lt will be manifest from the foregoing that while adequately ventilated, the interior of the cabin will be sufiiciently dark to enable those in the cabin to see plainly through the observation opening 9 and a considerable distance down in the water in which the boatis floated. It will also be appreciated that when desired a person in the cabin 8 may fish to advantage through the opening 9, such person being able to see the fish in the water below the cabin. Y

It is essential to good visibility through the .water that the water below the observation opening 9 be smooth or quiet, and to channel T one or more rakes l5 and a transverse tender 16 1n rear oft the rake or rakes;

the said fender 16 heilig preferably of can-k cause it enables the rakes to better Vcoperate in dissipating waves. The fonder le manifestly serves to render smooth or quiet the wave-bearing or rou'h water that reaches the portion of the channel T in rear of the rakes 15. It is not of the essence ot my invention 'for-the rakes Vlato be adjust able,`and therefore the rakes may be fixed whendesired. kllllhen, however, the rakes are adjustable any conventional means as illustrated maybe employed to adjustably fix the saine in position.

At 20 in the channel 7, I provide rudders to enable a person in rear of the cabin to steer the boat, and at 21 I prefer to provide a steering disk, designed to enable a personpositioned on the deckin front of the cabin S to steer the boat with facility.

Having described `my invenio'n, what I claim and desire to secure b v Letters#Patu ent, is:` i y 1. A boat for the purpose described having a. cabin and an observation opening in the floor of the cabin to enable a person within the cabin to see down into the body of water in which the boat is iioated. and also having the cabin equipped with means to exclude light while permitting the passage of air.

2. .A boatior thepnrpose described comprising a hull having spaced longitudinal pontoons between which a longitudinal cen tral channel is formed that is open at both ends and also having a deck fixed to and extending between the pontoons and above the channel and provided with an observz tion opening, and a cabin superimposed upon the deck, over the observation opening, and having means to permit the passage of air while excluding light; the said channel vbeing equipped in front of the observation opening with a transverse rake to break up waves, and a transverse upright tender disposed in rear of said rake.

3. A boat for the purpose described comprising a hull having a longitudinal channel at its 'underside open at both ends and also having an observation opening above and in communication with the channel and a cabin above and in communication with said opening and equipped for the passage of air and the exclusion of light, and means arranged 1n the channel and in ifi-ont oi? the in advance of said opening, and upright transverse Vrakes arranged in the channel in iront of said ltender; the forward rake beingl deflected downwardly and forwardly ifrom the upper portion of the channel and the rear rake being deflecteddownwardly and rearwardly from the upper portion oi lthe channel. l' i ln; testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

` FRANK' I. STILES 

